Shinguz: Cool new features in FromDual Backup and Recovery Manager 2.0.0

A while ago we released our FromDual Backup and Recovery Manager (brman) 2.0.0 for MariaDB and MySQL. So what are the new cool features of this new release?

First of all brman 2.0.0 is compatible with MariaDB 10.3 and MySQL 8.0:

shell> bman --target=brman:secret@127.0.0.1:3318 --type=full --mode=logical --policy=daily

Reading configuration from /etc/mysql/my.cnf
Reading configuration from /home/mysql/.my.cnf
No bman configuration file.

Command line: /home/mysql/product/brman-2.0.0/bin/bman.php --target=brman:******@127.0.0.1:3318 --type=full --mode=logical --policy=daily 

Options from command line
  target          = brman:******@127.0.0.1:3318
  type            = full
  mode            = logical
  policy          = daily

Resulting options
  config          = 
  target          = brman:******@127.0.0.1:3318
  type            = full
  mode            = logical
  policy          = daily
  log             = ./bman.log
  backupdir       = /home/mysql/bck
  catalog-name    = brman_catalog

Logging to   ./bman.log
Backupdir is /home/mysql/bck
Hostname is  chef
Version is   2.0.0 (catalog v0.2.0)

Start backup at 2018-08-13_11-57-31
  Binary logging is disabled.
  Schema to backup: mysql, foodmart, world, test

  schema_name      engine  cnt  data_bytes    index_bytes   table_rows 
  foodmart                    0             0             0           0
  mysql            CSV        2             0             0           4
  mysql            InnoDB     4         65536         49152          17
  mysql            MyISAM    25        515327        133120        2052
  test             InnoDB     3         49152             0           0
  world                       0             0             0           0

  /home/mysql/product/mariadb-10.3/bin/mysqldump --user=brman --host=127.0.0.1 --port=3318 --all-databases  --quick --single-transaction --flush-logs --triggers --routines --hex-blob --events
  to Destination: /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_full_2018-08-13_11-57-31.sql
  Backup size is 488835
  Backup does NOT contain any binary log information.
  Do MD5 checksum of uncompressed file /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_full_2018-08-13_11-57-31.sql
  md5sum --binary /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_full_2018-08-13_11-57-31.sql
  md5 = 31cab19021e01c12db5fe49165a3df93
  /usr/bin/pigz -6 /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_full_2018-08-13_11-57-31.sql
End backup at 2018-08-13 11:57:31 (rc=0)

Next brman also support mariabackup now:

shell> bman --target=brman:secret@127.0.0.1:3318 --type=full --mode=physical --policy=daily
...
Start backup at 2018-08-13_12-02-18
  Backup with tool mariabackup version 10.3.7 (from path /home/mysql/product/mariadb-10.3/bin/mariabackup).
  Schema to backup: mysql, foodmart, world, test

  schema_name      engine  cnt  data_bytes    index_bytes   table_rows 
  foodmart                    0             0             0           0
  mysql            CSV        2             0             0           4
  mysql            InnoDB     4         65536         49152          17
  mysql            MyISAM    25        515327        133120        2052
  test             InnoDB     3         49152             0           0
  world                       0             0             0           0

  Binary logging is disabled.
  /home/mysql/product/mariadb-10.3/bin/mariabackup --defaults-file=/tmp/bck_full_2018-08-13_12-02-18.cnf --user=brman --host=127.0.0.1 --port=3318 --no-timestamp --backup --target-dir=/home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_full_2018-08-13_12-02-18
180813 12:02:19 Connecting to MySQL server host: 127.0.0.1, user: brman, password: set, port: 3318, socket: not set
Using server version 10.3.7-MariaDB
/home/mysql/product/mariadb-10.3/bin/mariabackup based on MariaDB server 10.3.7-MariaDB Linux (x86_64)
mariabackup: uses posix_fadvise().
mariabackup: cd to /home/mysql/database/mariadb-103/data/
mariabackup: open files limit requested 0, set to 1024
mariabackup: using the following InnoDB configuration:
mariabackup:   innodb_data_home_dir =
mariabackup:   innodb_data_file_path = ibdata1:12M:autoextend
mariabackup:   innodb_log_group_home_dir = ./
2018-08-13 12:02:19 0 [Note] InnoDB: Number of pools: 1
mariabackup: Generating a list of tablespaces
2018-08-13 12:02:19 0 [Warning] InnoDB: Allocated tablespace ID 59 for mysql/transaction_registry, old maximum was 0
180813 12:02:19 >> log scanned up to (15975835)
180813 12:02:19 [01] Copying ibdata1 to /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_full_2018-08-13_12-02-18/ibdata1
180813 12:02:19 [01]        ...done
...

Then brman 2.0.0 supports seamlessly all three physical backup methods (mariabackup, xtrabackup, mysqlbackup) in their newest release.

On a customer request we have added the option --pass-through to pass additional specific options through to the final back-end application (mysqldump, mariabackup, xtrabackup, mysqlbackup):

As an example the customer wanted to pass through the option --ignore-table to mysqldump:

shell> bman --target=brman:secret@127.0.0.1:3318 --type=schema --mode=logical --policy=daily --schema=+world --pass-through="--ignore-table=world.CountryLanguage"

...
Start backup at 2018-08-13_12-11-40
  Schema to backup: world

  schema_name      engine  cnt  data_bytes    index_bytes   table_rows 
  world            InnoDB     3        655360             0        5411

  Binary logging is disabled.
  /home/mysql/product/mariadb-10.3/bin/mysqldump --user=brman --host=127.0.0.1 --port=3318  --quick --single-transaction --flush-logs --triggers --routines --hex-blob --databases 'world' --events --ignore-table=world.CountryLanguage
  to Destination: /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_schema_2018-08-13_12-11-40.sql
  Backup size is 217054
  Backup does NOT contain any binary log information.
  Do MD5 checksum of uncompressed file /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_schema_2018-08-13_12-11-40.sql
  md5sum --binary /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_schema_2018-08-13_12-11-40.sql
  md5 = f07e319c36ee7bb1e662008c4c66a35a
  /usr/bin/pigz -6 /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_schema_2018-08-13_12-11-40.sql
End backup at 2018-08-13 12:11:40 (rc=0)

In the field it is sometimes wanted to not purge the binary logs during a binlog backup. So we added the option --no-purge to not purge binary logs during binlog backup. It looked like this before:

shell> bman --target=brman:secret@127.0.0.1:3326 --type=binlog --policy=binlog
...
Start backup at 2018-08-13_12-16-48
  Binlog Index file is: /home/mysql/database/mysql-80/data/binlog.index
  Getting lock: /home/mysql/product/brman-2.0.0/lck/binlog-logical-binlog.lock
  Releasing lock: /home/mysql/product/brman-2.0.0/lck/binlog-logical-binlog.lock
  FLUSH /*!50503 BINARY */ LOGS

  Copy /home/mysql/database/mysql-80/data/binlog.000006 to /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000006
  Binary log binlog.000006 begin datetime is: 2018-08-13 12:14:14 and end datetime is: 2018-08-13 12:14:30
  Do MD5 checksum of /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000006
  md5sum --binary /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000006
  md5 = a7ae2a271a6c90b0bb53c562c87f6f7a
  /usr/bin/pigz -6 /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000006
  PURGE BINARY LOGS TO 'binlog.000007'

  Copy /home/mysql/database/mysql-80/data/binlog.000007 to /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000007
  Binary log binlog.000007 begin datetime is: 2018-08-13 12:14:30 and end datetime is: 2018-08-13 12:14:31
  Do MD5 checksum of /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000007
  md5sum --binary /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000007
  md5 = 5b592e597241694944d70849d7a05f53
  /usr/bin/pigz -6 /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000007
  PURGE BINARY LOGS TO 'binlog.000008'
...

and like this after:

shell> bman --target=brman:secret@127.0.0.1:3326 --type=binlog --policy=binlog --no-purge

...
Start backup at 2018-08-13_12-18-52
  Binlog Index file is: /home/mysql/database/mysql-80/data/binlog.index
  Getting lock: /home/mysql/product/brman-2.0.0/lck/binlog-logical-binlog.lock
  Releasing lock: /home/mysql/product/brman-2.0.0/lck/binlog-logical-binlog.lock
  FLUSH /*!50503 BINARY */ LOGS

  Copy /home/mysql/database/mysql-80/data/binlog.000015 to /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000015
  Binary log binlog.000015 begin datetime is: 2018-08-13 12:16:48 and end datetime is: 2018-08-13 12:18:41
  Do MD5 checksum of /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000015
  md5sum --binary /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000015
  md5 = 1f9a79c3ad081993b4006c58bf1d6bee
  /usr/bin/pigz -6 /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000015

  Copy /home/mysql/database/mysql-80/data/binlog.000016 to /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000016
  Binary log binlog.000016 begin datetime is: 2018-08-13 12:18:41 and end datetime is: 2018-08-13 12:18:42
  Do MD5 checksum of /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000016
  md5sum --binary /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000016
  md5 = ef1613e99bbfa78f75daa5ba543e3213
  /usr/bin/pigz -6 /home/mysql/bck/binlog/bck_binlog.000016
...

To make the logical backup (mysqldump) slightly faster we added the --quick option. This is done automatically and you cannot influence this behaviour.

  /home/mysql/product/mariadb-10.3/bin/mysqldump --user=brman --host=127.0.0.1 --port=3318  --quick --single-transaction --flush-logs --triggers --routines --hex-blob --events

Some of our customers use brman in combination with MyEnv and they want to have an overview of used software. So we made the version output of brman MyEnv compliant:

mysql@chef:~ [mariadb-103, 3318]> V

The following FromDual Toolbox Packages are installed:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
MyEnv:           2.0.0
BRman: 2.0.0
OpsCenter:       0.4.0
Fpmmm:           1.0.1
Nagios plug-ins: 1.0.1
O/S:             Linux / Ubuntu
Binaries:        mysql-5.7
                 mysql-8.0
                 mariadb-10.2
                 mariadb-10.3
------------------------------------------------------------------------

mysql@chef:~ [mariadb-103, 3318]>

In MySQL 5.7 general tablespaces were introduced. The utility mysqldump is not aware of general tablespaces and does not dump this information. This leads to errors during restore. FromDual brman checks for general tablespaces and writes them to the backup log so you can later extract this information at least from there. We consider this as a bug in mysqldump. MariaDB up to 10.3 has not implemented this feature yet so it is not affected of this problem.

...
Start backup at 2018-08-13_12-25-46
  WARNING: 5 general tablespaces found! mysqldump does NOT dump tablespace creation statements.
CREATE TABLESPACE `brman_test_ts` ADD DATAFILE './brman_test_ts.ibd' FILE_BLOCK_SIZE=4096 ENGINE=InnoDB
CREATE TABLESPACE `ts2` ADD DATAFILE './ts2.ibd' FILE_BLOCK_SIZE=4096 ENGINE=InnoDB
CREATE TABLESPACE `ts3` ADD DATAFILE './ts3.ibd' FILE_BLOCK_SIZE=4096 ENGINE=InnoDB
CREATE TABLESPACE `ts4` ADD DATAFILE './ts4.ibd' FILE_BLOCK_SIZE=4096 ENGINE=InnoDB
CREATE TABLESPACE `ts1` ADD DATAFILE './ts1.ibd' FILE_BLOCK_SIZE=4096 ENGINE=InnoDB
...

FromDual brman backups are quite complex and can run quite some long time thus timestamps are logged so we can find out where the time is spent or where the bottlenecks are:

...
  At 2018-08-13 12:27:17 do MD5 checksum of uncompressed file /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_full_2018-08-13_12-27-16/ib_logfile0
  md5sum --binary /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_full_2018-08-13_12-27-16/ib_logfile0
  md5 = d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e
  At 2018-08-13 12:27:17 compress file /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_full_2018-08-13_12-27-16/ib_logfile0
  /usr/bin/pigz -6 /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_full_2018-08-13_12-27-16/ib_logfile0

  At 2018-08-13 12:27:18 do MD5 checksum of uncompressed file /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_full_2018-08-13_12-27-16/ibdata1
  md5sum --binary /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_full_2018-08-13_12-27-16/ibdata1
  md5 = 097ab6d70eefb6e8735837166cd4ba54
  At 2018-08-13 12:27:18 compress file /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_full_2018-08-13_12-27-16/ibdata1
  /usr/bin/pigz -6 /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_full_2018-08-13_12-27-16/ibdata1

  At 2018-08-13 12:27:19 do MD5 checksum of uncompressed file /home/mysql/bck/daily/bck_full_2018-08-13_12-27-16/xtrabackup_binlog_pos_innodb
...

A general FromDual policy is to not use the MariaDB/MySQL root user for anything except direct DBA interventions. So backup should be done with its own user. FromDual suggest brman as a username and the utility complains with a warning if root is used:

shell> bman --target=root@127.0.0.1:3318 --type=full --policy=daily
...
Start backup at 2018-08-13_12-30-29

WARNING: You should NOT use the root user for backup. Please create another user as follows:

         CREATE USER 'brman'@'127.0.0.1' IDENTIFIED BY 'S3cret123';
GRANT ALL ON *.* TO 'brman'@'127.0.0.1';
If you want to be more restrictive you can grant privileges as follows:
GRANT SELECT, LOCK TABLES, RELOAD, PROCESS, TRIGGER, SUPER, REPLICATION CLIENT, SHOW VIEW, EVENT ON *.* TO 'brman'@'127.0.0.1';
Additionally for MySQL Enterprise Backup (MEB):
GRANT CREATE, INSERT, DROP, UPDATE ON mysql.backup_progress TO 'brman'@'127.0.0.1';
GRANT CREATE, INSERT, SELECT, DROP, UPDATE ON mysql.backup_history TO 'brman'@'127.0.0.1';
GRANT FILE ON *.* TO 'brman'@'127.0.0.1';
GRANT CREATE, INSERT, DROP, UPDATE ON mysql.backup_sbt_history TO 'brman'@'127.0.0.1';
Additionally for MariaBackup / XtraBackup:
GRANT INSERT, SELECT ON PERCONA_SCHEMA.xtrabackup_history TO 'brman'@'127.0.0.1';
...

Some customers have implemented a monitoring solution. FromDual brman can report backup return code, backup run time and backup size to the FromDual Performance Monitor for MariaDB and MySQL (fpmmm/Zabbix) now:

shell> bman --target=brman:secret@127.0.0.1:3318 --type=full --policy=daily --fpmmm-hostname=mariadb-103 --fpmmm-cache-file=/var/cache/fpmmm/fpmmm.FromDual.mariadb-103.cache
...

shell> cat /var/cache/fpmmm/fpmmm.FromDual.mariadb-103.cache
mariadb-103 FromDual.MySQL.backup.full_logical_rc 1534156619 "0"
mariadb-103 FromDual.MySQL.backup.full_logical_duration 1534156619 "129"
mariadb-103 FromDual.MySQL.backup.full_logical_size 1534156619 "7324744568"

Some customers run their databases on shared hosting systems or in cloud solutions where they do not have all the needed database privileges. For those users FromDual brman is much less intrusive now and allows backups on those restricted systems as well:

#
# /home/shinguz/etc/brman.conf
#

policy                = daily
target                = shinguz_brman:secret@localhost
type                  = schema
per-schema            = on
schema                = -shinguz_shinguz
log                   = /home/shinguz/log/bman_backup.log
backupdir             = /home/shinguz/bck


shell> /home/shinguz/brman/bin/bman --config=/home/shinguz/etc/brman.conf 1>/dev/null
...
  WARNING: Binary logging is enabled but you are lacking REPLICATION CLIENT privilege. I cannot get Master Log File and Pos!
WARNING: I cannot check for GENERAL tablespaces. I lack the PROCESS privilege. This backup might not restore in case of presence of GENERAL tablespaces.
...

Details: Check for binary logging is made less intrusive. If RELOAD privilege is missing --master-data and/or --flush-logs options are omitted. Schema backup does not require SHOW DATABASES privilege any more.

Some customers want to push theire backups directly to an other server during backup (not pull from somewhere else). For those customers the new option --archivedestination was introduced which replaces the less powerfull option --archivedir which is deprecated. So archiving with rsync, scp and sftp is possible now (NFS mounts was possible before already):

shell> bman --target=brman:secret@127.0.0.1:3318 --type=full --policy=daily --archivedestination=sftp://oli@backup.fromdual.com:22/home/oli/bck/production/daily/
...
  /home/mysql/product/mysql-5.7.21/bin/mysqldump --user=root --host=127.0.0.1 --port=33006 --master-data=2 --quick --single-transaction --triggers --routines --hex-blob --events 'tellmatic'
  to Destination: /home/mysql/backup/daily/bck_schema_tellmatic_2018-08-13_11-41-26.sql
  Backup size is 602021072
  Binlog file is mysql-bin.019336 and position is 287833
  Do MD5 checksum of uncompressed file /home/mysql/backup/daily/bck_schema_tellmatic_2018-08-13_11-41-26.sql
  md5sum --binary /home/mysql/backup/daily/bck_schema_tellmatic_2018-08-13_11-41-26.sql
  md5 = 06e1a0acd5da8acf19433b192259c1e1
  /usr/bin/pigz -6 /home/mysql/backup/daily/bck_schema_tellmatic_2018-08-13_11-41-26.sql
  Archiving /home/mysql/backup/daily/bck_schema_tellmatic_2018-08-13_11-41-26.sql.gz to sftp://oli@backup.example.com:/home/oli/bck/production/daily/
echo 'put "/home/mysql/backup/daily/bck_schema_tellmatic_2018-08-13_11-41-26.sql.gz"' | sftp -b - -oPort=22 oli@backup.fromdual.com:/home/oli/bck/production/daily/

End backup at 2018-08-13 11:42:19 (rc=0)

Taxonomy upgrade extras: 

via Planet MySQL
Shinguz: Cool new features in FromDual Backup and Recovery Manager 2.0.0

Airline employee steals plane from SeaTac, does aerial tricks with F-15s in pursuit before crashing on island south of Seattle

SeaTac Airport. (Wikimedia Commons / Joe Mabel)

A distressed Horizon Air employee stole one of the airline’s planes from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Friday night and roamed through the air with F-15 fighter jets in pursuit until the plane crashed on Ketron Island, southwest of Seattle, authorities said.

No passengers were aboard the Bombardier Q400 turboprop plane, and authorities did not immediately release information about the fate of the employee — but video from the scene showed burning debris strewn across the island.

Air traffic at SeaTac Airport was temporarily grounded due to the security threat, according to reports from Horizon Air’s parent company, Alaska Air.

In audio recordings from the air traffic control system, the man flying the plane said that he was “just a broken guy, got a few screws loose, I guess. Never really knew it, until now.”

In another audio clip, the air traffic controller tried to give the man, referred to as “Rich,” options for landing. “This is probably jail time for life, huh?” the man replied:

Horizon Air’s chief operating officer, Constance von Muehlen, said in a video statement that the theft occurred at about 8 p.m. PT. “Our hearts are with the family of the individual aboard, as well as all our Alaska Air and Horizon Air employees,” she said.

Ed Troyer, a spokesman for the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, said via Twitter that the theft of the plane was “not a terrorist incident,” but involved a “single suicide male” who was a 29-year-old Pierce County resident.

“We know who he is,” Troyer tweeted. “No others involved.”

Troyer did not identify the rogue pilot by name.

In follow-up tweets, Troyer said he was told that F-15 fighter jets were scrambled out of Portland, Ore., and arrived in the area “within a few minutes of the theft.”

“Pilots kept plane out of harm’s way and people on [the] ground safe. .. They may not admit for a few days. But is true,” he wrote.

Air traffic controllers kept up a conversation with the rogue flier, who casually discussed what he was seeing from the cockpit. “Man, have you been to the Olympics? These guys are gorgeous … holy smokes,” he could be heard saying.

At other times, the flier hinted at the reasons for his distress. “Ah, minimum wage,” he said. “We’ll chalk it up to that. Maybe that will grease the gears a little bit with the higher-ups.”

He wondered out loud about what would happen after the flight. “Hey, do you think if I land this successfully, Alaska will give me a job as a pilot?” he asked a controller.

“You know, I think they would give you a job doing anything if you could pull this off,” the controller replied.

“Yeah, right. … Nah, I’m a white guy,” the flier said.

One astonished family posted a video of the plane flying low through the neighborhood (with salty commentary):

This video showed the plane doing what a bystander described as a loop-the-loop, with fighter jets in pursuit.

Other tweets described the crash:

SeaTac Airport reported that normal operations resumed as of 9:30 p.m. PT. Airline passengers complained about the delays caused by the incident. “I’ve been waiting at SeaTac for two hours,” one wrote on Twitter.

Many noted that information about the incident came much more quickly via Twitter than via traditional media outlets.

Late Friday, the FBI’s Seattle office took charge of the investigation in cooperation with local, state and federal partners. “Information gathered thus far does NOT suggest a terrorist threat or additional, pending criminal activity,” the FBI tweeted.

Ketron Island is situated in south Puget Sound, not far from Steilacoom and Chambers Bay Golf Course, which was the venue for the U.S. Open Championship in 2015. Census records show the island with a population of 17 residents in 2010. Here’s the location of the crash:

The aircraft reportedly crashed near Ketron Island, near the Chambers Bay Golf Course.

Here’s what the Horizon Air Bombardier Q400 looks like. The plane normally carries about 80 passengers and crew. It’s commonly flown on regional routes heading from Seattle to destinations in Washington state, Oregon and British Columbia.

Wikimedia Commons

Post updated to correct airport photo and details about how the plane crashed. Frank Catalano contributed to this report.

via GeekWire
Airline employee steals plane from SeaTac, does aerial tricks with F-15s in pursuit before crashing on island south of Seattle

Ohio State more than doubles tech licensing income to $8M, smashing last year’s record high

Ohio State University smashed its previous record high income from technology commercialization in fiscal 2018 – $7.97 million from stocks in spinouts, royalties and other sources – after more than a decade of effort.

via Columbus Business News – Local Columbus News | Business First of Columbus
Ohio State more than doubles tech licensing income to $8M, smashing last year’s record high

TV Station Prints and Fires a 3D Plastic Pistol. It Doesn’t Go Well.


We’ve been told by all the most reliable, intelligent and informed people in the both the media and politics that easily downloadable blueprints for 3D printable guns presents a clear and present danger to national security and the American way of life. In fact, the technology is such a threat that some politicians have even suggested 3D printers themselves should probably be registered or regulated.

It probably won’t surprise you to hear that all the hysteria about 3D printing isn’t really so much about guns as it is about control.

Anyway, just to see what caused all the hair-on-fire sturm und drang, Dallas’s WFAA found someone who owns a 3D printing job shop and had him print out Defense Distributed’s design for the Liberator pistol.

It took 36-hours and $10 worth of plastic to print 13 pieces that he assembled into the pistol. That convenience is what worries critics. But the quality of fully printed plastic firearms is another issue.

As for test firing the pistol . . .

Maybe when noted firearms experts like Alyssa Milano call 3D guns “downloadable death” they’re actually concerned about the people who will be holding the guns. Or not.

In any case, all of the panic over Defense Distributed loosing its dangerous plans on the world had nothing to do with the actual “threat” the guns pose and everything to do with exposing their carefully constructed gun control regimes generating anti-gun press. Plus, it got them a restraining order preventing the company from releasing their files.

Not that the judge’s laughable order means anything at all here in the real world. 3D plans for firearms are and have been widely available online for years. You can get yours right here.

Of course, the Liberator pistol design isn’t the only plan out there. You can also print a very serviceable AR lower which tends to perform well.

And if you have enough scratch, you can even print yourself a metal 1911 like the Solid Concepts DMLS at considerably higher cost.

Whatever. All of the hysterical hoplophobes tend to gloss over the fact that it’s always been perfectly legal to build your own guns at home. Whether you do it the low tech way with cheap, readily available Home Depot components or with a roughly $2000 (for now) 3D printer is utterly beside the point.

But let them keep continue sticking their bony little fingers in the ever-multiplying holes in the electronic dike. Maybe it makes them feel like they’re accomplishing something. As ever, they just can’t stop the signal.

 


via The Truth About Guns
TV Station Prints and Fires a 3D Plastic Pistol. It Doesn’t Go Well.

The 8 Best Free Mac Tools to Detect and Fix Common macOS Problems

best-free-mac-tools-fix

All Macs are perfect, and never encounter a single problem. This is thanks to the unicorn dust applied liberally to the internals of each new machine.

Unfortunately, that’s not true. Just like Windows machines, your Apple hardware can and will go wrong from time to time. Apple provides plenty of tools to get you on your way, but a few free third-party apps don’t hurt either.

Here are eight free tools that can help when your computer don’t work properly.

1. Disk Utility

macOS Disk Utility

When to use it: Corrupted files, drive errors, or a Mac that won’t boot into macOS.

Disk Utility is a utility provided with macOS, which you can find under your Applications > Utilities folder. It’s used for formatting drives, mounting and unmounting volumes, and fixing problems as they arise.

You can run First Aid on any drive by launching the utility and clicking the corresponding button. For better results, and in cases where your Mac won’t boot, you can launch your Mac in Recovery Mode by restarting and holding Cmd + R while it starts up. Select Disk Utility, then First Aid to attempt a fix. Hit Repair Disk if it detects a problem.

It’s also possible to create whole images of your current disk using this utility, which is perfect if your drive is failing. Reboot in Recovery Mode and connect a large enough external drive. Then eject the drive you want to back up (probably called Macintosh HD), followed by File > Create New Image from “Macintosh HD” (or whatever the label is).

Failing Disk Utility’s repair options, you can always boot into single user mode and use fsck to fix drive options from a command line interface.

2. Apple Diagnostics/Apple Hardware Test

Apple Diagnostics results

When to use it: Suspected hardware issues, when trying to find out which specific component is causing an issue.

Another tool that comes bundled with your Mac is Apple Hardware Test. This simple utility can help diagnose problems, though it lacks the detail required to make serious repairs. It is, however, useful in cases where you’re trying to isolate a hardware issue from a software one.

The age of your machine will determine whether you use Apple Diagnostics or Apple Hardware Test, but they do the same job and launch using the same shortcut. Simply hold down D while your Mac boots, or Option + D to run the test from the internet (in cases where the test won’t run from disk).

If you’re feeling brave and you want to glean as much information as possible about your hardware problems, you can use Apple Service Diagnostics, assuming your Mac isn’t too new.

3. OnyX

OnyX for Mac

When to use it: For making deep system tweaks, cleaning up caches, and fiddling with the OS.

OnyX is the jack of all trades maintenance tool for macOS. Most users won’t have any specific need for it until the time comes, but it’s a handy tool to have installed. Just like Disk Utility, you can use OnyX to verify the structure of the startup disk. It can also repair permissions, something that most users of El Capitan or later will never need to do.

With OnyX you can perform tasks like run the operating system’s daily, weekly, and monthly clean-up scripts with the click of a button. You can also rebuild databases like Spotlight, Mail, and LaunchServices without having to boot into Safe Mode.

This tool works to to clear just about every cache on your system, though generally speaking you should let the OS take care of this task. You can also perform three and seven-pass secure erases, though you shouldn’t do this on solid state drives. OnyX can also show and hide files, folders, and applications, plus access macOS applications like the hidden Network Utility and Directory Utility tools with a click.

Finally, you can tweak some settings that are usually only available via Terminal prompts. These include the format, location, and naming conventions for screenshots, recent folder and file listings, Safari tweaks like history cutoff and DNS prefetching; startup sounds, and even graphical effects throughout the OS.

Download: OnyX

4. MemTest86

MemTest86

When to use it: Crashes, freezes, app instability—particularly if you just installed some new memory.

RAM is one of the last internal components Mac owners can still customize—on some machines at least. The iMac in particular still provides a window at the back that pops open and allows you to add physical memory. Older MacBooks, where the RAM isn’t soldered to the motherboard, are also open to tinkering.

But this can lead to issues when the memory you’ve installed is faulty. Application crashes, hard reboots, and freezing are all symptoms of dud memory. Even the old sticks of RAM installed when your machine was new can fail, leading to problems. MemTest86 is a free tool for thoroughly testing your RAM and isolating memory problems.

To use it, simply download the version for Linux and Mac, create a bootable USB drive using the image, insert your USB stick, and hold the Option key when your Mac boots. Choose the USB boot option from the menu and follow the prompts.

There are memory testing tools that run under macOS or via a graphical interface. But the problem with this approach is that your operating system is already using the RAM you want to test. By booting into a lightweight Unix environment, you can test the RAM more thoroughly.

Download: MemTest86

5. Malwarebytes

Malwarebytes for macOS

When to use it: Periodically to ensure your Mac is malware-free.

Your Mac is susceptible to malware, even though the likelihood of infection is low. Apple has put in place protections like system integrity protection and Gatekeeper to limit damage from errant third-party software. But exploits still happen, and Malwarebytes is a free solution to keep you protected.

If you’ve already been infected, this is one anti-malware tool that can help. The free version lacks real-time protection, but that’s fine since resources are precious. A quick scan from time to time, as well as running the updates when they arrive, should be enough to keep you safe.

You’ll get a free trial of the premium version of Malwarebytes when you download, but the free version offers ample protection for most users.

Download: Malwarebytes

6. KnockKnock

KnockKnock for Mac

When to use it: When you suspect malware is persistently trying to install itself on your machine.

Objective See produces a whole range of security tools for macOS, but we’re going to focus on KnockKnock here. It’s a tool that looks a little deeper than your average malware scanner for applications that attempt to persistently install software on your machine.

This is the hallmark of many vehicles used to deliver malware, though the app will also detect benign applications that do this as part of their regular operation. The app is integrated with VirusTotal protection, indicating if anything unusual is attempting to install something more sinister.

Download: KnockKnock

7. EtreCheck

EtreCheck for macOS

When to use it: When you’re experiencing problems with the normal operation of macOS.

EtreCheck is a tool that can detect over 30 minor and major problems with your Mac. It generates reports based on what it finds, so you can ask others to help remedy the problem. EtreCheck works in tandem with Apple Support Communities to help users with limited technical knowledge solve their computer problems.

EtreCheck will generate five reports for free, which should be enough to help diagnose an immediate problem with your hardware. After this it will cost around $10, depending on where in the world you are. This is so anyone can use it as a fast diagnosis tool, but also to cover the continued development costs.

When you first run the app, you’ll see a prompt asking for description of your problem. EtreCheck will then scan your computer for hardware, configuration, software, and performance issues.

Download: EtreCheck

8. PhotoRec

PhotoRec

When to use it: In cases where you need to recover media from external drives.

Test Disk and PhotoRec are two closely related projects. The former is aimed at whole drive recovery, while the latter is designed to recovery media from removable storage. Unfortunately, TestDisk doesn’t yet support Apple’s new file system APFS, but it does work with HFS+ file systems created prior to macOS 10.13 High Sierra.

PhotoRec supports the most common file systems used to store media, so if you’ve lost an SD card full of photos it might be your best bet for getting them back. Unfortunately you’ll lose your original filenames, but that’s better than losing the data entirely.

If your card becomes unreadable, remember that you should not write to it at all until you have tried everything to get your data back. The more you write to the volume, the less likely a full recovery is possible.

Don’t Forget Your Boot Modes

You Mac uses various boot modes for all kinds of troubleshooting functions. Safe mode will automatically verify your disk on startup, while resetting your PRAM and SMC can solve numerous minor issues.

Check out the full list of Mac boot modes for fixing a whole range of problems with your computer. If you’re having network issues, macOS’s built-in Network Utility can help you out too.

Read the full article: The 8 Best Free Mac Tools to Detect and Fix Common macOS Problems

via MakeUseOf.com
The 8 Best Free Mac Tools to Detect and Fix Common macOS Problems

Best Concealed Carry Guns (By Popular Caliber) [2018]

What is the best caliber for concealed carry?

That’s the age-old question, isn’t it? When choosing a CCW, this is a good place to start.

Carrying a gun chambered in .45 ACP will be larger than one chambered in .380.  That’s just how it is and there is no way around it.

choosewiselymeme

By then end you’ll have a good understanding of the best caliber for you…

Concealed Carry, Shirtless
Concealed Carry

Plus our favorite concealed carry handguns for it!  And our favorite holsters and ammo too.

Table of Contents

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Variables to Consider

The size of your piece matters.

If you decide to go with a larger caliber or a double stacked magazine, your gun will be physically larger. If you have a thinner or smaller body or like to wear tighter clothing…the fact you’re carrying a gun will be VERY obvious.

Clothing

For those of us in the Midwest, we have, what seems like, 16 months of winter where we wear big jackets and sweatshirts. This allows us to carry just about any caliber CCW we want.

But, when summer rolls around, that changes. Carrying a full-size .45 ACP is more difficult to conceal in shorts and a t-shirt.

Conceal in winter clothing
At least it’s easier to conceal wearing winter clothing!

Take a look at your style and your seasons to find a good compromise. Possibly owning a gun for winter carry and another one for warmer months. Think of it as a seasonal accessory if it helps you justify the purchase.

Choosing the Caliber

There are a few ways to choose the caliber of your CCW. First is to ask around. My guess is you’ll get a lot of people replying that their carry gun is a 9mm or a .45 ACP. These are probably the most common.

Another way is to follow what law enforcement, military, and government agencies use. They tend to do a lot of research into what the bare minimum yet effective caliber or weapons are out there.

Caliber Comparison
The .380 looks like the 9mm’s younger sibling

What you will see with a lot of these groups is that they went back to 9mm.

This is because the 9mm has come a long way in the last few years. The .40 S&W was the go-to for a long time, but not really anymore. Something I noticed in my time building police vehicles was the rural departments, and many times sheriffs in rural areas carry .45 ACP.

Learn more about acceptable calibers in our Pistol Caliber Overview.

Carrying a .22LR

While a .22LR can deter an attacker, it is not really recommended for concealed carry. If this is your only option, then go for it. Something is better than nothing But, if you are going to purchase something to carry every day, go with a larger caliber.

shooting with a disability
.22lr revolvers like this one are often a great choice for disabled folks looking to defend themselves. Find more recommendations in our article for Disabled Shooters!

If you are in a state that has colder weather, a .22LR will have some difficulties penetrating thicker or multiple layers of clothing.

What is likely to happen if you were to use a .22LR and be forced to use it against an attacker wearing a thicker jacket (Carhartt or similar), is the bullet may pierce the jacket and clothing but could struggle to do the appropriate amount of damage needed to disable the attacker.

Check out our picks in Best .22s for Pocket Carry.

Best Concealed Carry Guns By Caliber

Below are a couple choices for each caliber to help get your search started.

I know everyone has their favorites and there will be comments about this gun or that gun should be on or off the list. Feel free to interject, but leave useful comments and suggestions.

9mm

The 9mm CCW category is packed with a lot of good choices. Also, keep in mind that most of the manufacturers make a .40 S&W and a 9mm in the same size frame so I am only listing the 9mm models here.

Smith & Wesson M&P Shield

What I like about the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9mm is it’s a good size to conceal and large enough to get your whole hand on the grip.

Smith & Wesson M&P Shield M2.0

Smith & Wesson M&P Shield M2.0

Prices accurate at time of writing

It’s smaller than a lot of compact guns but bigger than a subcompact. And it’s thin too. About 1” thick. The Shield and Shield 2.0 also come in a variety of calibers, too such as the Shield .380 Auto and Shield .45 ACP

If you’re interested in more information, we did a complete review of the S&W Performance Center M&P Shield!

SIG SAUER P365

They call this a “micro-compact.” For its size, it holds a lot of ammo. One of our favorites for 2018!

Most innovative CCW gun [2018]
Sig Sauer P365

Sig Sauer P365

Prices accurate at time of writing

I would compare it to a Glock 26 in size, but it holds 10+1 and is a single stack magazine. This keeps the width to an inch. It also has a rail if you want to add a light or other attachment.

While there have been some production issues of the P365 and some “voluntary” recalls, Sig Sauer seems to have ironed out the issues now.

Another PPT writer reviewed the Sig P365 not long ago and wrote a glowing review on it.

What’s your take on the P365?

Readers’ Ratings

5/5 (3)

Your Rating?

And for more 9mm specific CCW guns…check out Best Single Stack Sub-Compact 9mm.

.45 ACP

Something to note before you get your boxers in a bunch is I left out 1911s because this is an article about concealed carry.  We have our Best 1911s article for that.

Keep Calms and Concealed Carry On

Yes, you can carry a big gun if you want, but most want a smaller gun for their EDC.

Springfield Armory XD-S

The XD-S, even though it had some issues a while back, is a great choice for your CCW. The large caliber in the small frame is helpful.

Springfield XD(S) 3.3

Springfield XD(S) 3.3

Prices accurate at time of writing

It’s thin and easy to conceal, a combination that isn’t easy to find in a real larger caliber.

Because of the shorter barrel and the larger caliber, it kicks and can make reacquiring your target more difficult when firing quickly. You’ll probably need to train a little more with that than you would with a 9mm.  

But extra training should be assumed when you’re working with .45 ACP.

FN FNX-45

The FN FNX-45 is a bigger gun compared to some of the others listed so far. It is a compact size, so the barrel is a bit longer. If you are looking for something for your large hands, this would be a good option.

FNX-45

FNX-45

Prices accurate at time of writing

I got to shoot one of these and it was smooth for a compact 45. It was a little large for me to carry (I’m 5’11 170), but like the way it fired.

The FNX-45 also comes in a Tactical version that sports a threaded barrel, red dot mounting ability, a rail, and suppressor hight sights.

While highly impractical for CCW, it makes for an outstanding duty, open carry, and competition pistol.

FNX-45 Tactical

FNX-45 Tactical

Prices accurate at time of writing

Using one of each for your different needs makes it easier to transition between the two and makes training much simpler.

.380

A .380 is a very concealable weapon. They are usually thinner and smaller than a 9mm subcompact. You will lose some of the impact you get when a .380 hits the target, but they are still acceptable for self-defense.

You’ll want to read up on the differences and limitations of the .380 Auto, and we have Just the Article for You.

Same bullet, smaller casing.

Something you might want to look into right away if you are getting a .380 is a new trigger. Most of them have a long pull and can make them hard to shoot accurately under duress.

Ruger LCP II

The Ruger LCP II is a popular small gun and a large improvement over the older LCP model. It comes in different colors so finding the one you like aesthetically is easy.

Most Affordable .380 Pistol
Ruger LCP II .380

Ruger LCP II .380

Prices accurate at time of writing

Because of its size, the LCP II is a great “pocket” gun or even as a backup weapon. It has a 6+1 magazine which is pretty common for this size pistol.

We also have a complete review on the Ruger LCP II so you can learn all amount the pros and cons of this little guy.

Glock 42

The Glock 42 is a great choice if you are looking for a reliable single stack .380 or if you are Glock fan and want something a little smaller than their other offerings.

Most Reliable .380
Glock 42

Glock 42

Prices accurate at time of writing

Not a lot can be said, other than a thank you to Glock for starting to make some guns with a single stack magazine.

Besides that…it’s a Glock. Its bombproof, reliable, has massive aftermarket support, and people either hate it or love it.

For more .380…check out our 5 Best .380 Pistols for Concealed Carry.

.38 Special

A .38 Special or .38 special +P are very common calibers for revolvers and don’t really show up in semi-auto pistols. When it comes to a revolver for CCW, lightweight and hammerless are two of the characteristics I recommend looking into.

Bodyguard 38 Revolver Crimson Trace

Smith & Wesson makes a lot of revolvers and a lot of them have a .38 Special version.

Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard 38 Crimson Trace

Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard 38 Crimson Trace

Prices accurate at time of writing

S&W revolvers come in almost every shape, finish, size, and option you can think of. This one is super lightweight since it uses a one-piece aluminum frame and a very short barrel.

It’s handy, easy to use, and rated for +P. Everything you could want in a CCW revolver.

Ruger LCRx

The LCRx is a lightweight revolver from Ruger. An aluminum frame and some polymer parts make it a great carry gun.

Ruger LCRx

Ruger LCRx

Prices accurate at time of writing

It has an exposed hammer, so you’ll want to practice your draw to make sure you can do it well and not snag clothing. It’s also able to fire +P rounds for a little more punch.

If the exposed hammer is an issue for you though, Ruger also makes the LCR that uses an internal hammer for smoother draws.

Best Laser Equipped
Ruger LCR Revolver

Ruger LCR Revolver

Prices accurate at time of writing

For more .38 Special revolvers…check out 7 Best CCW .38 Revolvers.

Holsters, Belts, & Ammo

Going concealed with the perfect gun for you is still useless if you don’t have a great holster.  Check out our top holster picks for all the popular ways to carry.

Aliengear Holster, High Grip
Aliengear Holster, High Grip

Plus you’ll need a sturdy belt that doesn’t scream “I’m carrying a gun.”  Check out these nondescript options in Best CCW Gun Belts.

Best CCW Gun Belts, Thickness
Best CCW Gun Belts, Thickness

Same goes with ammo…we use data from shorter handguns and clothed ballistics gel to make our choices.  Since that’s what you’re likely to see in the real world.

Ballistics-Gel-Testing
Ballistics-Gel-Testing

See our self-defense and range ammo picks for all the popular calibers.

Final Thoughts

In this list, there are some popular models of various calibers to get you started in your search. Some are subcompact, some are not. In the .38 Special category, they are all revolvers and in the .45 ACP category, there are bigger guns.

Take a look at your lifestyle. This will have a big impact on what and when you will carry. Look for a CCW that will be convenient and comfortable to carry or you just won’t.

Comfort comes from how it fits your hand as well as how it feels carrying it on your person.

Just because you aren’t strapping a pair of 1911s in shoulder holsters every time you leave your man cave doesn’t mean you aren’t going to be safe. Get a 9mm or .380 that fits your hand and you can conceal in the majority of the clothing wear daily.

Lots of Holsters, Boondock Saints
Lots of Holsters, Boondock Saints

And as a reminder if you scan articles like I do: Everyone has their favorites and there will be comments about this gun or that gun should be on or off the list. Feel free to interject, but leave useful comments and suggestions.

We have some more specific articles too if you already know what you want:

We love to hear from our readers about their CCW choices, so let us know! What handgun do you use? What caliber? Tell us all about it in the comments!  And then head to our CCW Definitive Guide.

The post Best Concealed Carry Guns (By Popular Caliber) [2018] appeared first on Pew Pew Tactical.

via Pew Pew Tactical
Best Concealed Carry Guns (By Popular Caliber) [2018]

2018 Origin EON15-S Gaming Laptop

2018 Origin EON15-S Gaming Laptop

Price: $1449+  | Buy

The latest update to Origin’s light and slim gaming laptop sees thin bezels on its 1080p display, Intel 8th Gen CPUs, and a GeForce GTX 1050Ti or 1060 GPU. The 2018 EON15-S also has a USB-C port, two display ports, an HDMI port and individual RGB keyboard lighting.

via The Awesomer
2018 Origin EON15-S Gaming Laptop

CBF Morning Run: Throwing Pet Rocks at scooters and sipping Columbus Brewing Co.’s Insane Wanderer Vol. 1

Happy Wednesday morning, Columbus.
I’ve never been good with fads.
By the time I figure out whether I want to 1. ride a particular wave of popularity, and 2. pay for it, whatever it is usually has passed and another fad has taken its place.
For example, I bought an official Pet Rock in 1976. (The year, by the way, is important.)
For those of you who don’t remember Pet Rocks or are too young to have even heard of them, let me explain.
A man named Gary Dahl created the sensation when he began…

via Columbus Business News – Local Columbus News | Business First of Columbus
CBF Morning Run: Throwing Pet Rocks at scooters and sipping Columbus Brewing Co.’s Insane Wanderer Vol. 1

25 More Insanely Useful Websites You Might Need Someday

insanely-useful-websites

The internet is filled with websites. Billions of them. Some are useful, some, not so much. Some of the useful websites are quite popular, and rightly so—a tool like Canva is a life saver for easy web graphics. Then you have helpful tools like Down for Everyone or Just Me.

But there are many other useful websites beyond the ones you may know about. The fun is in discovering them. Fortunately, we went ahead and did the hard work for you.

1. Student.com

Student.com useful websites

If you are looking for cheap accommodation as an international student, this website helps you search for a home near your college/university or a neighborhood of your preference. The site covers around 400 cities and their service is for free!

2. Inner Body

Innerbody useful websites

The interactive guide to human anatomy. It is an easy way to study the human anatomy classified precisely into different segments theoretically as well as visually. This is a useful website to teach students in school with interactive tools to view the various human internal systems in 2D as well as 3D.

3. KissPNG

Kisspng useful websites

This website provides free high definition images without the background. Search for more than one million PNG images absolutely free for your brochures, banners, websites, etc. The website provides unlimited downloads.

4. Pixlr

Edit pictures without Photoshop or any other high-end software. Pixlr is an easy to use software that doesn’t need installation and is absolutely free. You can edit your images in your browser or download the app on your phone to edit pictures without any complicated tools!

5. Pixabay

Pixabay useful websites

Shutterstock can be really expensive at times so here comes Pixabay to save your day. Million of royalty free images to download along with illustrations, videos, and vector graphics. All of it free! Suitable for beginner level graphic designers or non-designers who want to dabble in basic designing.

6. Privnote

Privnote useful websites

Send a note that can self-destruct after it’s read. Emails sometimes cannot be private enough and sometimes you just forget to delete sensitive information. This is an easy to use website to make sure there is no data recovery of intensely sensitive notes.

7. Skyscanner

Skyscanner useful websites

If you’re on a budget or if you’re trying to save money on your travels, this is the perfect site for you. This is a perfect website to find cheaper flights that even Google shows on its list. Apart from the flights it also shows cheaper hotels to stay in or a pocket-friendly car to hire.

8. Spotahome

Spotahome useful websites

Apartments or rooms for renting mid to long term. This site has people check for the properties personally, has a virtual video tour of the entire apartment as well as HD pictures of the properties. Currently, they are covering almost 30 cities in Europe. Suited best for students and backpackers in Europe.

9. Uniplaces

Uniplaces useful websites

Another great website for students looking for affordable accommodations in Europe with a bigger list of cities and an even more helpful staff. The site is also affiliated with various colleges and universities in Europe to provide certain discounts to their students. They also provide free help for the first 7 days.

10. Bachelor Studies

Bachelorstudies useful websites

This website finds a Bachelor’s Program or Degree for you according to your preference of the country, language, cost, part-time or full time and much more. It also gives a list of top destinations to study in your home country. It also enquires details about the course from your side if you create an account & add the universities in your interested list.

11. Computer Hope

Computer hope useful websites

Keyboard shortcuts can drastically increase your productivity. Computer Hope teaches the basic shortcut keys as well as lists the shortcuts for various software that are used by an average computer user.

12. Lucidchart

Lucidchart useful websites

An easy to use website that converts your data into a neat diagram. A great way to make flowcharts, task flows, and even wireframes. You do not need to install any software, just get things done on the website along with collaborations with your team or colleagues using any device, across any platforms.

13. Swole

Swole useful websites

The automatic diet planner. Lets you plan your grocery list, your meals according to calories you need to consume and has a food bank that shows the detailed nutrition list of all kinds of food. Helps you keep a proper diet and divides it into different frequencies of meals according to your liking.

14. Mega

Mega useful websites

Dropbox and Google Drive limit your storage online after a mere 15 GBs. Mega gives you 50GB of free storage after you create an account. It is secure and runs on all the platforms.

15. Tinycards By Duolingo

Tinycards Duolingo useful websites

Flashcards make learning easier, especially when it comes to languages. This fun website by Duolingo is a simpler version to remember words using flashcards and allows you to create your own deck on any topic of your choice with either text or pictures!

16. Diff Checker

Diff Checker useful websites

A perfect way to find out if your document has been changed by someone else. It allows you to find the differences between two pieces of text and compare them. Just got an updated piece back from your editor? Use Diff Checker to find out exactly what your editor changed.

17. Dillinger

Dillinger useful websites

Dillinger is an online cloud-enabled HTML5 Markdown editor. It is mobile friendly and provides offline storage. Using Dillinger, you can export clean markdown to HTML, drag and drop images and more. Dillinger is perfect for bloggers and developers alike.

18. Fast

Fast useful websites

Be it a mobile hotspot, an airport Wi-Fi, mobile data or your office broadband. Check the current speed of your internet connection on this website that is minimal and to-the-point.

19. Dictation.io

Dictate your emails and documents in Google Chrome with any language you speak. Dictation.io accurately transcribes speech to text in real time. It allows you to add smileys, paragraphs and even punctuations using the voice commands!

20. FlightStats

Flightstats useful websites

Be it a globetrotter, student, businessman or just a concerned parent. This website allows you to track any flight all over the world from anywhere. Just enter the flight number and get the real-time location or status of the flight!

21. Every Time Zone

Everytimezone useful websites

Calculating different time zones can be a headache most of the time. This site is a less confusing view of the world’s time zones with reference to yours.

22. PDF Escape

PDF Escape useful websites

This PDF editor lets you easily edit a PDF or a PDF form online without using Adobe Acrobat or any other software. Did we mention that it’s free?

23. Infogram

This website not only allows you to create stunning infographics but also lets you create charts, reports, social media visuals and a custom dashboard to keep track of the inner as well as outer workings of your business.

24. Snopes

Snopes useful websites

If you are the one looking for online deals to save money then this website is perfect for you. Snopes allows you to find out whether that email deal received is real or just another scam!

25. Slide.ly

A do-it-yourself tool to make your own promotional videos. It is the only digital video service that provides you with premium video footages, licensed music, and amazing copy to create instant promotional videos at affordable prices.

Be a Part of the Web Culture

These are just some websites on the web you can use to cover little needs here and there. The internet machine chugs on every day, so bookmark our previous collection of the most useful websites.

Read the full article: 25 More Insanely Useful Websites You Might Need Someday

via MakeUseOf.com
25 More Insanely Useful Websites You Might Need Someday